Four-Run 10th Leads Amarillo To Victory

Wichita, KS – One night after being walked off in the 11th, the Amarillo Sod Poodles secured a 6-3 extra-innings victory over the Wichita Wind Surge on Saturday night, powered by a four-run 10th inning.

The Sod Poodles out-hit the Wind Surge 11-7 and were led by a seven-inning, two-run performance from starter Deyni Olivero.

For the second game in a row, OF Jorge Barrosa led off the game with a base hit. The Wind Surge led off the bottom of the frame with a single of their own, but neither team scored a run.

Olivero issued two base runners in the 1st, but carved through the Wichita lineup with a perfect 2nd and 3rd.

The Wind Surge caught up to him in the 4th and plated a run to take a 1-0 lead. Olivero issued a leadoff walk, and two singles put Wichita on top.

Amarillo quickly tied the game in the top of the 5th. Nick Dalesandro got on board with a single and advanced to 2nd on a throwing error by the pitcher. The speedster quickly stole third base, his team-leading 23rd steal of the year, and was scored on a sacrifice fly by Drew Stankiewicz.

Wichita retook the lead with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the 5th. Olivero responded by retiring the side, but the Sod Poodles couldn’t tie it in the 6th despite another leadoff hit. The Wind Surge got a runner to 3rd after two wild pitches in the bottom of the inning, but did not extend their lead.

Juan Centeno tied the game at 2-2 with a solo home run in the top of the 7th. It was his eighth home run for Amarillothis season, and second in the last three games. Dalesandro followed him with a single and stole his second base of the game, but the Sod Poodles failed to take the lead with a runner in scoring position.

Olivero (0-6) did not earn his elusive first Double-A win tonight, but he still turned in a quality effort with 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB and 4 K. The quality start was his second of the season, and he set a new career high with seven innings pitched.

Wichita put a runner on base in the 8th and 9th, but quality innings from Jake Rice and Ty Tice kept the game tied at two. For the second game in a row, the Sod Poodles and Wind Surge entered extra innings tied 2-2.

The Sod Poodles erupted for four runs in the 10th inning in a scoring effort that proved too much for Wichita to overcome. Tim Tawa started on 2nd base as the courtesy runner, and Dalesandro drew a one-out walk to join him on the bases. Drew Stankiewicz then gave the Sod Poodles a 3-2 lead with an RBI single that scored Tawa. The next batter grounded out, but Amarillo rallied with two outs and plated three more runs.

Tristin English swung on the first pitch he faced with two out and two on, and scored Dalesandro on an RBI single. Leandro Cedeño then drew a walk to load the bases, and Eduardo Diaz made it 6-2 with a two-RBI single to left field. Blaze Alexander flew out to right field to end the frame.

With a four-run lead, the Sod Poodles stuck with Tice in the bottom of the inning. The courtesy runner at 2nd scored on an RBI single, but Tice ended the game on a strikeout with two runners on. The victory marked the third game in a row in which the Sod Poodles scored six runs.

Amarillo was led by two-hit performances from Dalesandro and English, and an impressive 3-for-5, two-RBI night from Diaz. Tice earned his first win of the season in relief, and Amarillo took advantage of three Wind Surge errors.

Now leading the series 3-2, the Sod Poodles will look to earn a series win in tomorrow’s 1:05 first pitch finale. RHP Brandon Pfaadt (5-5, 4.54 ERA) will be on the mound to face Wichita’s RHP Daniel Gossett (1-1 1.96 ERA)

Notes

Lights Out: RHP Deyni Olivero turned in his second quality start of the year tonight after allowing just two earned runs in 7.0 IP. He allowed six hits, two walks, and struck out four. The righty did everything he could to earn his first win of the season, but he exited in the 7th with the game tied 2-2. The seven-inning performance set a new career high innings pitched for Olivero, surpassing the 6.1 innings he threw on July 8, 2019 with then-short season A Hillsboro.

Welcome Back, Eduardo!: After missing two weeks on the injured list, OF Eduardo Diaz returned to the Sod Poodles lineup tonight in a big way. In his first game since June 28, Diaz notched three hits and two RBI en route to the victory. It was his 21st multi-hit 12th multi-RBI game of the season, and he also earned and outfield assist by nabbing a runner at home plate. On the year, the 24-year old is batting .271 with 8 HR and 49 RBI.

Throw ‘Em Out, Hit ‘Em Out: C Juan Centeno contributed on offense and defense tonight and improved Amarillo’s record in his starts behind the plate to 22-12. He caught a runner trying to steal in the 1st inning, his second game in a row catching a runner. He also launched his 8th home run of the year in the top of the 7th inning, a solo shot that tied the game at 2-2. He’s hit two home runs in his last three games and has already set a new career single-season home run high. On the year with both Amarillo and Triple-A Reno, Centeno is batting .291 with 9 HR and 34 RBI. He has also caught 12 runners stealing this year, and leads Amarillo with a .375 caught stealing percentage.

Professional Thief: C/OF Nick Dalesandro also made his return from the injured list after a two-week hiatus, and turned in a 2-for-3 effort with two stolen bases. The speedster leads the team with 24 steals this season, which is quickly approaching his career season-high of 33 that led the Arizona farm system in 2021. He has stolen the third-most bases in the farm this year, trailing Wilderd Patino (46) and Jordan Lawlar (25).

Deja Vu, But Better: The Sod Poodles fell in extra-inning walk-off-fashion last night, but won in extras tonight. Over the last three games, Amarillo has won 6-3, lost 6-4, and won 6-3. The team improved to 18-4 when holding their opponent to three or fewer runs, 6-4 in extra-inning games, and 28-0 when out-hitting their opponent.